DOSBox: A Quick Tutorial

DOSBox is an x86 based DOS emulator that will allow you to play many of the games I've posted. The majority of these games came around when DOS was still being used, and it's difficult to get some of them to run on a newer computer, say Windows XP or Windows 7. Using this program you'll effectively be able to run DOS applications on a Windows, MacOS, or Linux based computer.

Step 1: Save your games in the same place, say, c:\dosgames. This way, it's much easier to navigate your folder with DOSBox, especially when you're not used to running DOS.

Step 2: Open DOSBox. You should end up with a Z:\ prompt. Type "mount c c:\dosgames". Doing this allows the program to recognize your games folder as a valid hard disk. Now you can switch to the mounted drive by typing "c:\". DOSBox will switch to the new base directory, which is your games folder.

Step 3: Type "dir" or "dir/w". You'll see your list of folders that the games are stored in. Pick one you like, and type "cd foldername". Remember to replace foldername with the actual name of the folder. Quick tip, you can usually just type the first few letters of the folder and hit TAB, like "cd foldTAB", for quick access. Nicely done.

Step 4: Find the executable file, or .exe, to start the game. You'll need to use "dir/w" again to find it. Once you do, just type "gamename.exe". Whatever you're running should boot up in an instant and you'll be flying high in the DOS sky. Pressing ALT+Enter will fullscreen the program. Play your game for a while, when you exit you should return to the prompt.

Step 5: Insert the command "cd.." to go back to the last folder. CD means Change Directory, so you use that to hop around folders. The DIR command, as you've probably figured out, shows the contents of a directory. Note that these are very basic instructions and some things might require a little tweaking to get running properly. You should consult the DOSBox manual for more information on increasing framerates and such.

Edit 01-21-2012: Expert Excrement Expeditor recently informed me that you can drag and drop the .exe file straight to the shortcut in Windows. It will automatically mount the drive as the folder the game is in. If you type "exit" you can get out and drag another shortcut when you want to play another game. Thanks 

http://www.dosbox.com/
Have fun guys!